Untrained Harmony
by Almighty Ironic Empress
Summary: Voice, born in a time of inequality in BloodClan, was never meant to survive. With a destiny hanging over head, she will destroy her Scourge and restore peace to BloodClan.
1. Never Had a Chance

**Hola readers! I had a story before this but I sort of ran out of ideas so I just decided to delete it and start fresh again. So yeah. Anyways, read the first chappie and please tell me how I did and what I need to fix. Enjoy!- Cat**

* * *

Dawn was approaching, turning the sky from blue to pink and orange. I walked across the sidewalk, my heart thumping with dread every step I took. _Oh… Scourge's not gonna like this at all…"_ I thought about how his reaction would be to his mate, Moon, having only kit- and a she-cat at that. He'd probably beat me up, and start sneering about how weak she-cats are and how one could never be heir to him.

"Flower!" A voice called. My head snapped up, jerking my thoughts out of my head.

There he was.

Scourge was running towards me, black-and-white fur flying and icy blue eyes gleaming, his blood red collar embedded with teeth standing out against his neck fur. "How many? What kind? How do they look like? Is Moon okay? Are they okay?" He demanded, standing on his toes so that he was only a head shorter than me.

I decided to keep him in a good mood until we got to the kitting den. I dipped my head and smiled weakly. "Yes sir. There is only one kit, but I assure you it's-"

"It's?" He interrupted, reinforced claws flexing onto the hard pavement. "What kind of a medicine cat are you? You can't even tell the difference between a tom and a she-cat!" He glared at me. " I know I should've chosen someone a tom to assist Moon in her kitting. She cats are useless."

_Oh no… This is gonna be bad._ I flinched, not knowing what to say. "I-I know what gender it is! It's a- a- a… She!"

He blinked slowly at me. "_What?"_

"She," I repeated, staring at my golden paws. "S-She's a she-cat. I looked back at him to see his reaction.

He was already running past me, in the direction of the den. I groaned and slowly followed him, not wishing to see what he was going to do.

The kitting den was half of a huge trash can lying empty on the sidewalk, to create a sort of cave. We lined it with old Twoleg pelts to make it warm and comfortable. I looked back over my golden shoulder before entering. Sure enough, Brick and Bone were slowly trailing me. They were Scourge's bodyguards, they were always close by to Scourge. I entered.

Sleeping on the blue Twoleg pelt was Moon, with her new she-kit at her tummy. I smiled- The kit was beautiful. She was completely black, with an unusual shade of brown for paws and tail. Scourge was sitting at the opposite end of the den, glaring at the kit.

I motioned to Scourge to come sit by me. With hesitation, he padded quietly over to my and plopped down again. "What?" He hissed in a too-loud voice.

I gently fingered the kit with my paw. "Feel its muscles. Aren't they strong? I'm sure she is going turn out to be a strong kit." Scourge did exactly what I did with his little white paw, staying silent. I watched him intently.

"Suddenly he yowled, "_No!_ She will never be heir to BloodClan!" I flinched. _"Stop thinking you're the only one in the world! Other cats have feelings!"_ But it was already too late. Moon stirred and yawned, opening her beautiful amber eyes. She smiled at me and purred blissfully at Scourge, which immediately stopped when she saw his grim expression.

"Oh, I know she's a she-cat… But she's so strong, like Flower said. And look! She's a little fighter, right from the start." She murmured weakly. She was tired from kitting. Sure enough, when she put her tail-tip near the little kit's black muzzle, she sniffed at it and batted at it, squeaking eagerly.

Scourge hissed impatiently and snarled, "No! I won't have it! Guess I'll just have to get another mate, one that gives me a _tom!_" He added savagely.

Moon's usually bright gaze dimmed. "You think I _wanted_ to be your mate? She-cats and toms are equal, but _you _are too mouse brained to realize that! You're acting like a kit!"

I gasped. I had always thought the same thing- and I'm sure most other cats did too- but Moon was going to get _killed_ for saying something like that! I gave her a frantic gaze with my green eyes, trying to get her to see that she had to apologize. She met my gaze and stared back defiantly. I could tell what she was thinking- _I don't care if I get killed._ I stared at the leaf-covered floor of the den. I should be thinking the same way.

There was so much tension in the dank air, my fur was standing on end. Scourge unsheathed his reinforced claws and slashed them down her cheek. "_Never _say something like that to me or any other tom again!" He hissed in her ear as he delivered the punishment.

I closed my eyes in relief. _Thank… Whoever he didn't do anything worse._ My relief turned to horror and fiery anger as Scourge shook his tiny black head. "I can't have only a she-cat for my kit," He muttered. "I'll have to get rid of her." Then, he called on the cats that are the only reason he was still alive. "Brick! Bone! Stop chattering outside and get in here!" The quiet muttering that was audible outside the den stopped. Then, Bone entered, his white pelt standing out in the darkness of the den. Followed by him was the russet-pelted Brick. I felt beads of sweat running off my fur- It was now crowded in the den, with 6 cats in it… No, more like 5 and a half because Moon's kit is still small. "I need one of you to take… _Moon's_ new kit and throw her into the river," He growled simply. The two big tom's expressions turned into shock and horror, which was quickly masked by bored mellowness.

"I'll do it," grunted Brick. His eyes couldn't have been any more dull.

Any weakness Moon had shown in the last few heartbeats was gone. She jumped up, ignoring her infant's squeaks of protest. "NO!" She yowled with such ferocity and anger that Scourge backed away. "I know, there are too many cats that you have corrupted with your evil, puny mind for me to stop you. If this Clan wasn't in your paws, we'd be living like they do in StarClan, and we'd believe in them, too! I _will _have a few more hours with her!" I stared at her in shock. _A mother's love for her kit is as fierce as a wolf's._ The blood on her cheek dripped onto her shoulder.

Scourge dipped his head. "Of course, you may have a few more hours with her, because I permit it," He added, narrowing his eyes as he said the hidden threat. "There _will_ be consequences for mentioning StarClan!"

Moon dipped her head in reply. "Thank you," She whispered fiercely. Her eyes glowed like golden fire. Then, she lowered her head to her kit and murmured softly to her. "I'm sorry, my beautiful, strong brave daughter. I wish you and I and everyone else with a kind heart in this Clan lived somewhere far, far away. One tear rolled down her cheek form her left eye and mixed with the blood, turning the tear pink.

She looked up at me. "Flower, you are one of those cats. Thank you for helping me through the kitting. I know you wish to be somewhere else, too. Help me name her. Scourge glared at me. I pretended not to notice and crouched down, my mussle a whisker length from the kit. The kit, startled at the unfamiliar scent stopped suckling and turned her tiny black muzzle towards mine to sniff it. She meowed her unsual, low and haunting meow. I heard Bone and Brick yelp in surprise. _Her voice is so mysterious and beautiful…_ Right there, I decided that there was something special about this kit. There definitely was.

"Voice?" I suggested out loud. "She has such a mysterious one." Moon nodded.

"I think Voice is perfect. It sou-" We all went into shock as the den suddenly plunged into darkness. Widly I looked outside. The sky wasn't dark yet! How could this be? Brick and Bone stood protectively in front of Scourge. Moon looked around worriedly, and wrapped her tail around little Voice. Our heads snapped towards the entrance of the den to see a tuft of silver fur loftily drift in. It seemed to have a light of its own. It floated round the entire den. I jumped and banged my head on the roof of the garbage can as an eerie and soft whisper that didn't sound catlike echoed off the walls from nowhere. _All the sounds of the Bloodclan cats cry with pain ad horror. But there is one Voice who will stand above them all, not fearful. She will have the power to make them instead cry with joy and happiness._

Then the voice got harder.

_But there will be bloodshed. There will be betrayals. For she-cats and toms to sing in harmony, there must be doom of the innocent. For peace, there must be war… _The last part seemed to echo in my head as the dimness faded and the pale colors of sunset were visible outside.

The silver tuft of fur slowly drifted down to the leafy floor of the den. Bone pounced on it and sniffed it. "Its not cat fur… It smells like a dog's, but slightly different…" He grunted to Scourge.

Scourge swished his skinny tail warily. "It's a wolf's. I don't know what this has o do with a cat…" His ears lay flat against his skull. "The prophecy obviously has something to do with Voice. His short fur suddenly stood on end, and his blue eyes gleamed with craziness. "We _must _get rid of her!" He hissed. I stood silent. I _knew_ there was something special about this kit. _Oh, little Voice, please save us all from this patriarchy and dystopia. I know you can._

Moon closed her eyes in relief. "Thank StarClan. All this bloodshed and grief will be over, thanks to my kit. She bent her head and licked her tiny kit on her head.

Scourge unsheathed his claws and slashed them across Moon's cheek again in the same spot. She yowled in pain and shock. I tried to move forward to help her, but Brick intercepted me. "Don't," He muttered in my ear as I struggled. "You'll just make it worse for the both of you." I sighed and nodded reluctantly. _I'll treat her wounds later. _He got off of me and I stood up to look at Moon. The left side of her cheek was all mangled.

Scourge snorted. "I hope you learned your lesson. Next time, the consequences _will _be worse." He glared at her, and then glared at me. I shrunk under the icy stare. "Oh, and one more thing, Flower."

"What?" I squeaked, wishing I wasn't so afraid.

Without warning, he charged at me and pinned me to the ground, fastening his claws into my shoulders so that I couldn't throw him off. I yowled in shock and tried to wriggle free, but to no avail. As a medicine cat (and as she-cat), I hadn't gotten much training in how to fight. "You are to tell _no one _about this prophecy or the fact that I had a she-kit. _Got it?_ " He sunk his claws in deeper as he said the last part. I yelped and nodded. "Good. Now leave." He got off and swished his tail in a silent gesture. He and his guards sauntered off into the growing darkness. I turned to Moon and quickly patched her wound with cobwebs and marigold that I had found outside the den.

"She will save us all. I hope she finds allies along the way," I muttered to her as I turned around to leave.

"Oh, I know she will. I will help her. Well, that is, if I'm still alive," She added jokingly.

I shook my golden head. "I don't get how you can joke about death so lightly."

Her amber eyes showed wisdom. "Why have a life if it's bad? It's like you young cats always say."

I nodded. " I see. The only thing we can do is wait. I bent down to look at the tiny Voice, maybe for the last time. Her mainly black fur shone in the moonlight, her face stained with milk. "I know you will survive. I just know it." With a last dip pf my head to Moon, I exited the den. It's almost completely dark now. I realized that a huge white cat- Bone – was slowly stalking me, probably to make sure I didn't interfere with Voice's "death". I gave him a warning glare and continued walking. _Save us all, Voice…_

* * *

**That was pretty long! I tried to make it informational; I know the first chapter can sometimes be a bit boring. Anyways, please read and review! Tell me what you liked and what I need to work on. My old story was called Powerful? Or Powerless? I wasn't updating enough, and I felt like that was unfair to y'all. Oh, and I made this in case you're a bit confuzzled-**

**Flower- Golden she-cat w/ green eyes, one of the medicine cat in BloodClan, has a green collar with a few teeth in it**

**Scourge- small black-and-white tom with ice blue eyes, cruel leader. Red collar with many teeth in it**

**Moon- silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes, Scourges ex-mate. Purple collar with an overwhelming amount of teeth**

**Bone- Huge white tom, Scourges guard. Green collar with many teeth**

**Brick- Russet tom with green collar that has many teeth in it**

**Voice- Black she-kit with brown paws and ears, and a low voice. Amber eyes. Protagonist **

**Bye! -Cat**


	2. Hallucination, Right?

**Hiya! Second chappie, hopefully I will get reviews now! This is Brick's POV, by the way.**

* * *

I sighed as I put on my green, faded collar, heavy with teeth. Why did we have to wear these things? My neck always felt uncomfortable wearing it, even though I've been wearing it since I was at my mother's tummy.

Feelings of dread and sorrow washed over me as I bathed my reddish fur. Today I'd have to kill a kit. Well, actually, not directly. But I have to throw her into a river, pretty much the same thing. She is Scourge's daughter and only kit. Scourge was disgusted, so he ordered her to be thrown in a raging river. My friend, Bone, and I are his personal bodyguards, so one of us had to fulfill the task. I immediately said "I'll do it" only because Bone is really sensitive when it comes to kits. He loves the little balls of fluff.

I got out of my nice, cold den and into the hot afternoon sun. I swayed as I started walking onto the hot pavement stuff that Twolegs put over the cool, wet grass, grimacing. I trudged over to the kitting den, half of an overturned garbage can. Moon was already awake and glaring at her mate Scourge. He's the reason my life is quite miserable.

As I entered the den, Moon turned and glared at me instead with her amber eyes. Scourges turned his icy gaze to mine and nodded his small black-and-white head coolly. I grunted in response- Guards of Scourge aren't supposed to show emotion.

"Get it done with!" Scourge hissed impatiently. "I'm tired of looking at the little female wretch." I looked over at the small black-and-brown she-cat, suckling at Moon's belly, unaware of the fact she was about to be doomed. Sorry I have to send you to your death, little kit.

I walked hesitantly over to Moon, unsure if she was going to lash out at me or not. To my luck, she simply glared and hissed as I picked up her tiny kitten, Voice. She squeaked her low and beautiful squeak as I picked her up by her tiny scruff. I looked at Moon, trying to get her to realize that I didn't want to do this either. As she stared back at me, her amber eyes softened. The tip of her striped tail twitched to show me she had gotten my message. "Try to throw her into a rocky part of the river, I don't want her coming back and fulfilling some prophecy that will destroy me!" Scourge called out to me as I was leaving the den. I swished my red tail in response. Scourge, Moon, Bone, and I had all witnessed the prophecy.

I left the den and slowly trekked down to the muddy riverbank. The river seemed to be raging today, no calm spots anywhere. I chose a spot that seemed shallow and clear of rocks (No way I'm throwing her into a rocky part!), closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and threw the kit in. I opened my eyes. Voice let out a low wail as she plunged into the gleaming, swirling, deep water. She tried in vain to keep her little black head in the air as she careened down the churning brook. She went under, then came up again and parted her tiny jaws to gulp in air. As she moved farther down the river, she opened her deep brown eyes and yowled, "help!" before going under again. I turned around and took a deep breath, my eyes wide with shock. Did I just see her… _Open her eyes? After she'd been alive for only a few hours?_ I shook my head, scattering water droplets. No. Not possible. I was probably just hallucinating. I walked back to the kitting den, the day starting to cool. I told Scourge the job was done, and headed back to my nest for a well-earned rest.

* * *

**So how'd ya like it? Review to tell me! Hopefully I will get some now that the second chappie is posted. :P Constructive criticism is welcome! -Cat **


	3. A Horrible First Sight

**Hola! Yay reviews! Reviews make me happy :DDDD**

**Storm of the Stars- Thank you for the detailed reviews! I will definitely try to fix the spelling errors. Since the story is in first person, most of the story is the character's thoughts. When the characters in the chapter are speaking, their words will be surrounded by quotation marks. Anything that isn't is the character that is telling you the chapter's thoughts. :D Don't worry about Voice being a Mary Sue- she seems like one now, but she's going to get into a lot of trouble later on! Scourge probably didn't despise she-cats in the actual Warrior series, but I am a feminist so I thought why not? (Gives you a cookie) :D**

**Reese- Thank you! (Gives you a cookie) :D**

**OC's, guys! I need OCs for the next chapter! Anyways, on with da story!**

* * *

For the few hours that I have been alive, my life sucks right now.

I'm currently being carried to a river by a cat I think is called "Brick". Or maybe it was "Bone". I can't really tell, since my eyes haven't opened yet.

When I was born, my mother, I think her name was "Moo," started licking me happily. But I think she was also a bit fearful, and at the time I didn't know why. Isn't Moo a weird name for a cat?

Later, I found out why she was so fearful.

My father, Score, despises me, for some reason. He wanted me thrown in the river! When the nice she-cat named Flower told him to touch me, I tried to take his paw off his foreleg. That probably didn't work. And then, the room seemed to take on a dark presence. There was a voice whispering something, but my kit ears couldn't catch what it was saying. After the creepy whispering was over, Score, Bone (or Brick), and Brick (or Bone) left. Then I was finally allowed to have some free time with my mother and someone who doesn't want to kill me.

My nose twitched- I think were getting close to the river. Sure enough, soon I felt the spray of water reach my forelegs. Not liking the feel of it, I thrashed and squealed, attempting to get him to spare me. No luck. Brick-Bone took a deep breath and threw me in. I'd braced myself, but I wasn't prepared enough for the shock.

I let out a mental gasp as I plunged into the water. I was dragged down deep, the water chilling me to the bone. What was I supposed to do now? I don't know how to swim! I started flailing in the water, hoping that would do something. It didn't. I was shocked when a voice suddenly blared in my head.

"_No, you're doing it all wrong!"_

I opened my mouth to ask who the heck the voice was… Obviously a big mistake. I mentally gasped as my lungs felt like they were on fire.

"_Quick, kick your hind legs as if… as if you were walking! Hurry, or you'll run out of air and die!"_

There it was again! Considering it was trying to save me, I decided to trust it. I kicked my hind legs like she told me to, getting excited when I started moving upward… I think.

"_Good. Keep going!"_

The voice murmured, softer than last time. I broke the surface of the swirling river just as I was about to faint from the lack of oxygen. I gulped in the delicious air as if it were the only drink of water I had in a moon. Of course, I let out a loud yowl as I went under again, but I could tell I was sinking slower then when I was thrown into the raging brook.

"_Kick again, you need to keep on kicking if you want to stay surfaced!"_ The voice told me harshly.

I felt indignation swell inside of me. Hey, gimme a break! I'm not even a day old! Nevertheless, I started kicking again, managing to keep my tiny head above the water as it roared and crashed.

The voice let out what I think was a snort. _"Don't complain and focus on staying alive, kid! You'll have a lot to learn if you want to fulfill your destiny!"_

I was surprised that the voice replied. Can you see what I'm thinking? What is my destiny? I imagined I was sending these thoughts to the voice and waited for feedback.

"_Yes, I can tell what your thinking, but only if you direct the thought to me. I'll tell you your des- WATCH OUT, HUGE ROCK AHEAD OF YOU!"_ She yowled the last words, making me wince.

Panicking, I turned my waterlogged head to the direction I think the rock was in. I splayed my paws outward, hoping they would make contact with the rock so I could push off of it and get myself out of the way of its scratchy gray surface. I felt my paws make contact and yowled in agony as pain flared in my shoulder.

"_You sprained your shoulder, I think; but that's better than what would've happened."_

I was about to send a mental grumble to the voice, but she interrupted me before I could do so.

"_You need to open your eyes! It'll be much easier!"_

How do I open my eyes? I wondered.

"_Well this is easier said than done, but you need to find the right eye muscles and open them."_

I imagined that my eye muscles were clamped together shut, and that I had to pry them open with my paws. Suddenly, my eyes opened. I yowled in shock. This is a horrible first sight!

The river I was careening down was grayish blue and swirled around me like a tornado. I looked at my messed up reflection and saw that I had deep brown eyes, like mud. The trees had brown trunks and were topped with different shades of green leaves, it all looked like a blur as I tumbled through the swirling river. The ground around the river was muddy and dark green, with a few reeds here and there. The land farther form it was bright green with short grass. _Grass! Land! I need to get to land!_ My legs wont be able to continue this kicking much longer. I tried paddling closer to the shore, but I kept getting pulled back towards the deep center.

"_The current's too strong right now. Hang in there a bit more, and the water will get shallower and calmer._

I grunted. Why couldn't it be shallower and calmer _now?_ I want to explore!

"_You'll hvae more important things to do than explore! You'll have to find a way to survive!"_ The voice snapped. I sighed, knowing it was right. Without my family, it'll be hard to survive! I felt tears coming, blurring my vision._ My family…_ They left me! Left me to die!Overwhelming sadness and self-pity filled me, causing me to stop my rapidly tiring legs form kicking, and I went under again. I snapped out of my grief and quickly returned to the surface. Drowning was even scarier when you could _see_ the water!

"_You can grieve later, you're almost there!" _The voice said in an encouraging motherly tone. Sure enough, I soon felt the pebbles rasping and rolling under my brown paws. I looked down at the pebbles. They were different shades of brown and red, pretty and visible in the clear, calm, and shallow water.

As the adrenaline left me, I realized how tired I was. Slowly loosing energy, I climbed up onto the shore. I staggered a few paces, groaning. I collapsed on the cool, soft green grass with exhaustion. I could hear my heart beating. I was waterlogged, chilled to the bone, probably had a cold, and had a sprained shoulder and many small scratches, given to me by the cruel river. I shivered. _I'll never trust a river again._ I looked around me. Forest surrounded the river, the chirp of birds easily heard in the quiet afternoon.

Then it struck me. _I was hungry. So hungry. _How s=was I supposed to get food? Even if there was a mouse a mouse sitting in front of me begging for me to kill it, I wouldn't be able to eat it! I still have to have milk, my little kit tummy would just throw up actual prey. "What am I going to do?" I wailed out loud.

"_Hmm…" _The voice! The voice will help me. I would hug it f I could.

"_Maybe you could walk around and see if there's any nursing queens? It's a long shot, but its your only-" _The voice suddenly stopped.

What's going on? I sent that thought to the voice.

" _I smell a wolf!" _

I panicked. What's a wolf?

" _A wolf is a bit bigger than a fox, equally as ferocious. They are usually gray colored… This one smells like a mother, she has the scent of milk."_

_Milk. _Right now, that was a magic word to me. Milk? What if I could get some of her milk?

The voice scoffed. _"It's probably going to chase you away! Wolves are dangerous and don't trust cats!"_

It's my only hope! I shot back.

"_Oh… here it comes…"_

I smelt something horrible come from the left of me. A few heartbeats later, a huge silver wolf with piercing amber eyes and shaggy fur around her neck emerged from the lush forest, followed like ducklings by her two kits (or cubs?) , one a bit bigger than the other. Both he cubs started yapping and the mother turned to stare at me with her glowing orbs.

"_This could end badly… Meet her gaze. Show her that your not afraid."_

But I am!

"_Well, pretend you aren't!"_

I sighed and met her yellow gaze with my brown one, my heart thumping. We stared at each other for a few seconds, then she growled something to her cubs'/kits and slowly started walking forward, a sort of smile seeming to form on her lips.

I gulped. Is she stalking me?_"WHY_

"… _I don't know…"_

Some helper you are!

"_Watch it, kid! Without me, you wouldn't be alive! Just stand still and keep on staring into her eyes." _

I ignored its reprimand and tried to stare deep into her eyes, telling her to back off while trying not to break the staring contest and run off to hide in a tree, to no avail. She had almost reached me. My heart thumped faster, and I fought the urge to run as fast as my paws would carry me. I don't know what overcame me- when she was in range, I unsheathed my tiny-yet-kinda-sharp claws and swiped them across her dog-like muzzle. A tiny trickle of blood traveled down her muzzle from where my claws made contact.

"_WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" _The voice screamed, making me feel dizzy.

I heard one of her cubs behind her give a high-pitched growl. The mother wolf blinked her amber eyes in surprise, but they did not show fear.

"_What, you thought she would get scared and run off? Typical kit behavior."_ I sent a mental growl to the voice.

She bent down and sniffed me with her huge black nose, making me jump back. Up close, I could see what was really in her eyes- amusement. She was amused, not scared. She stood back up, tipped her head towards the sun, and howled, howled with laughter. I sighed, looked at my brown socks, and flattened my ears. Of course a little beaten up kit like me wouldn't scare a mother wolf! I squealed in surprise as I was suddenly lifted off the ground. Craning my neck up, I realized that the mother wolf had picked my up by my black scruff and was trying to hold me the gentlest she could.

"_I think she's going of take care of you as one of her kits!"_ The voice hissed excitedly.

The mother turned to her cubs (I think they're called cubs) and barked a muffled bark to them. Up close, I saw that the bigger one was a female and had milky blue eyes and the smaller one was male and had piercing amber eyes, just like his mother. He let out a series of high-pitched excited barks, while the only excitement his sister gave away was the wagging of her short tail.

The mother wolf slowly walked forward, her cubs playing tag around her paws as they walked. I tired squealing and swinging from side to side in hops that the mother would drop me, but she just let out a reassuring growl and kept on walking forward. The movement of her paws was rhythmic, and I couldn't help but fall into a deep, well-earned sleep.

* * *

**Ta-daa! Sorry it's been a while, I had a small case of writers block and I have guests visiting so I haven't gotten much time to work on the chapter. OC's are welcome! At the moment I mostly prefer male apprentices, but anything is welcome! Bye! -Cat**


	4. Found

**Long time, huh? Sorry with summer vacation starting ive slacked off.**

**A Storm of the Stars- Thanks for telling me about the violation, I fixed it!**

**Thank you Starstrike1 for following me and my story! *****gives you cookie***** :D**

**On with da story! This is in the wolfs POV.**

* * *

The moment that wet, bedraggled cat-cub river, I knew she was not just an ordinary kit.

I was taking my 4-month-old cubs, Hail and Wind, out to show them the world outside the camp and to teach them a bit of hunting. That's when I stumbled upon the cat-cub.

I was taking them to the river, to show them how to swim and hunt for fish, when Wind started yapping excitedly.

"Do you smell that, Moon? I've never smelled that smell before!" Wind was small, but he was very enthusiastic.

My other cub, Hail, rolled her eyes. "It's _scent,_ not smell."

As they both started arguing nose-to-nose, I realized what it was.

"It's a cat!" I whispered to my cubs. They instantly quieted and stared at me with wide blue-and-amber eyes in silence.

"Lets go catch it!" Wind yowled, dodging Hail's silver paw trying to slap down on his tail and running past me.

Fast as a viper, I clamped my jaws down, firmly but gently, on his fluffy scruff. "Not yet!" I murmured through clenched teeth. "It might run away! We have to sneak up on it, make sure it doesn't know we're here." They both nodded, thinking it was a game.

I slowly parted the ferns with my paws, knowing that the cat would see me. I was surprised to see that it was a tiny she-cub, completely waterlogged and looked like she barely had enough strength to stay on her paws. A small path of blood leaded out the river and pooled around the she-cub's flank, a side that was horribly scratched.

She was thrown into the river.

Thrown into a river, with high hopes that she would perish.

Who would do that to their own cub?

She was staring at me with wide brown eyes that were trying not to betray fear but were succeeding terribly.

"Stay here, we're _not _going to kill it. It's only a cub, I'm going to take care of it." I growled softly to my kits. They nodded silently with wide eyes.

I looked at the cub and tried to put a reassuring smile on my face, though to her it probably looked like an _I'm-going-to-kill-you_ smile. I slowly started walking over to her, making sure my large silver paws didn't make to much noise. Her deep brown orbs were unblinking, but her black-and-brown fur rose higher and higher as I got closer.

When I reached her, I bent down and sniffed her. Definitely a newborn. She stopped and stared for a heartbeat. Suddenly, she unsheathed her tiny claws and swiped them across my muzzle. I leaped back in shock. I heard Hail yowl, "No, Moon! Do you want me to help?"

Without turning my muzzle I growled a reply back softly to her. "It's just a cub. I could kill it if I wanted to." I could, but I won't.

I looked at the cub. A smirk played across her lips, her eyes shining with defiance. Did she think I was… _scared of her?_ Cheeky cub! I would never be scared of a cat! I tipped my head back and howled to the glorious sun with laughter. The recklessness of this cub! IF I had not been a mother, she would be dead by now and in my jaws. Oh that reminds me… I should probably take her to camp. I bent down and picked her up. She let out a squeal of surprise that sounded unusually low for a cat-cub.

Oh well.

I turned to my cubs. "Follow me back to camp," I ordered with a muffled bark. They nodded and followed me with wide eyes.

This cub. is wet, bedraggled, weak, and probably doesn't have a good chance of surviving. But if she does, I believe she will have a great destiny.

* * *

**Sorry, I know I haven't updated in a while! I was just lazy D: Sorry. Storm of the Stars, Iv've decided that I actually don't need OC's. But thanks! And kkatfoster, thank you and yes im continuing :P Bye and OC's still welcome and sorry! -Cat**


	5. Greetings

**Sup. I have a guest over (again!) So I haven't gotten much free time.**

**ivacat- OC's stand for "own characters." So basically for Warriors an OC would be a cat that you made up, whether it is a clan cat, rouge, or kittypet. Here is my OC: Name- Moonstrike Gender- Female Looks- Black she-cat with amber eyes and brown paws and ears. Rank- young warrior Personality- Cats that don't know her think she is shy, but she is really kind, arrogant, and quiet. You can make up your own OC's in the same way. For my story most OC's would be rouges since it takes place in and around BloodClan, but like I said I'll try to take in everything. Let me know if you have any more questions! **

**Amberflame805- Thanks for reviewing on all the chapters! I never realized there was a character named Brick in Warriors 0.0 **

**The cover pic is mine so please ask me before you use it. And give me credit if you do! ON WITH DA STORY!**

* * *

I opened my eyes and looked around confusedly. Where am I?

I'm standing in a grassy clearing surrounded by trees. I realize with a jolt that the trees seem to shimmer and sing and are sprinkled with stars, like flowers. The same thing went for the grass. How did I get in this magical forest? I faintly remember the mother wolf carrying me from the riverbank to who-knows-where. The trees definitely weren't shimmering and filled with stars. A wave of fear crashed on top of me.

Am I dead?

The mother wolf could've eaten me! I started panicking when a voice sighed, _"She didn't eat you, mouse-brain! You're dreaming!"_

_The voice!_ I missed you, old buddy. I heard the voice snort. Something was different about it, though. It sounded louder and less… echo-y, as if it were closer to me.

I squealed and jumped back as the air in front of me started shimmering in a wave, like a vertical pool of water. In the next heartbeat, it was gone and replaced with a she-cat. I yelped in shock. The she-cat blinked its green eyes and mewed, "Don't be afraid."

That sound was familiar. "Y-you're the voice inside my head!" I stammered. She smiled.

"Yep. My name is Hollyleaf." I took a closer look at Hollyleaf. She was a black she-cat with piercing green eyes and long legs. I realized I could faintly see the silhouettes of the tree trunks through her, and her pelt was flecked with miniature stars. I looked down at my own black-and-brown pelt- completely opaque and no stars.

I looked back up at Hollyleaf. "Are you dead?" I asked, and then slapped my black tail over my mouth as I realized how rude that sounded. "Sorry…" I muttered.

A half smile, half smirk played across her lips. "Don't worry about it. Yeah, I'm dead. I live in StarClan with other good cats that also died."

I blinked my brown eyes in confusion. "Uhh… What's StarClan?"

Her green eyes flashed with surprise, and then subsided. "Right you don't know what StarClan is…" She muttered. Then she sighed and said, "I will tell you the story of the Clans." She motioned for me to come closer and sit in front of her.

I padded to her and sat down, eyes wide. A story!

"Once, there were four cats- Thunder, Wind, River, and Shadow. They were all very powerful cats," she mewed. "They all had friends and lived together as four separate rouge groups." She leaned forward, and her voice darkened. "But one day, there was a battle. A huge one."

I leaned forward eagerly. Hollyleaf was a good storyteller! "And?" I prompted.

"And," she said, "It was terrible. Cats lay strewn across the ground, dead. There was not a single patch of green grass, for all of it was red with blood." My eyes widened. "The only cats that survived were the most powerful- Thunder, Wind, River, and Shadow. They all agreed to never let something like this happen ever again. So, they created a code of law- the Warrior Code- and sought out cats to make a Clan with. Thunder found cats that liked climbing trees and hunting mice and squirrels. Wind found cats that could run fast and hunt rabbits on the moor. River found cats that enjoyed swimming and hunted fish, and Shadow found cats that enjoyed the darkness and hunting frogs and lizards. Each group of cats was a different clan- ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. They all lived by the warrior code and there was never a battle as horrifying as the first one."

"Wow," I breathed. "What does this have to do with StarClan?"

She blinked. "Oh, I forgot to add in that part! When cats from a Clan died, they went to StarClan, who lived in the sky."

I nodded and began piecing everything together. "So… You're from a Clan."

She nodded, pleased. "ThunderClan, to be exact. You'll probably never meet a living Clan cat, because they live far, far away around a lake. "

"Uh-huh…" I racked my brain for more questions. "Do you know where I was born?" I mewed hopefully.

Sadness appeared in her green orbs. "Yes. You were born in a place called BloodClan. It's not a real Clan," she added as I opened my mouth. I closed it and nodded. "BloodClan is a horrible place- their code of law is incredibly cruel, she-cats and toms are treated differently, and all the cats are ruled by a terrible leader called Scourge."

I unsheathed my claws. "Did they throw me into the river?"

"Sheathe your claws, Voice. You are Scourge's daughter, and only kit. Scourge didn't want a she-cat for a leader, so he got rid of you and chose a tom that wasn't his." Anger boiled inside of me. " I know you're angry," she said softly. "But that might be to your advantage- you are destined to destroy Scourge and bring peace to BloodClan."

I was shocked. "Me… Why me? And my father's name is Scourge, and not Score?"

"You'll have the most will to get revenge- You were hated by him the moment you were kitted, and he threw you into a river. He wanted to kill you." A red haze filled my gaze and I instinctively unsheathed my claws again. "Snap out of it! She yowled. I shook my head and cleared my gaze of red. My claws reluctantly slid back into my paws. "Yes, Score is Scourge. Also, Brick and Bone are two different cats, and your mother's name is Moon, not Moo!" She added with a roll of her emerald eyes. That makes more sense.

"Why do I keep on getting red in my gaze? It happens every time you talk about fa- I mean, Scourge." No way am I considering Scourge my father!

She shook her black head. "I was afraid of this- you have the same rage of your father and stubbornness of you mother. Scourge also had a bad life, so he got really mad whenever someone brought it up. The stubbornness that was given to you by your mother doesn't want to let your rage subside- I'll teach you how to control it later." I nodded mutely. She was going on so fast!

"So, um, are you my… StarClan mentor or something?" I asked hesitaintly.

She smiled. "Yes, something like that. I will help you on your journey to bring peace to BloodClan. The wolves will take good care of you until you're old enough to survive on your own," she added as I opened my mouth. "Any more questions?" She asked dryly. Was she being sarcastic? I must've asked a lot of questions! I nodded.

"Good. I will see you when you need to be seen again, Voice."

* * *

**Sorry if this was boring it was a filler chapter. It was pretty short, I was gonna add the next chapter with this but decided not to because yall have waited a long time for another chapter. **** OC's welcome! I prefer rouge male apprentices at the moment, but anything is welcome! Bye! -Cat**


	6. First Time in My Short Life

**SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY. **** Ihad a ton of guests (They're all gone now, and no more are coming thankfully!) and this one's pretty long. I shall give all of you cake for the delay. This chapter happens just after Voice's little chat with Hollyleaf!**

**Willowleaf- Thanks for the OC! Leaf shall be a tom. Do you have any preferences on his personality or should I choose? (Gives cake)**

**Amberflame805- Hollyleaf FTW! She's my second favorite character! (Gives cake)**

**Starstrike1- Don't be jealous! Your story Lionblaze and the M&m is really funny! :D (Gives cake)**

**If you want to give me an OC, please format it something like this: Name- Gender- Rank- Personality- Thanks! ON WITH DA STORY!**

I woke up to something gently nuzzling me. I slowly opened my brown eyes to see the mother wolf staring at me with her piercing amber eyes. She barked softly and picked me up by my scruff. I quickly looked at my surroundings.. I was in a large hollowed-out boulder, lined with moss. There were large nests made out of bracken, moss, and leaves. One contained another mother wolf with twocubs sleeping at her belly. The mother was awake. She had dark gray fur and green eyes. She looked curious, but not hostile. I looked down. I was in a nest, a bit bigger than the other one.

The mother placed me down in the nest and held me firmly between her huge silver paws. She opened her mouth, revealing her large, pearly fangs. Great StarClan, she's going to eat me!

_No, you mouse-brain! She's just going to wash you!_

Sure enough, she stuck her tongue out, bent her head down, and began licking my head. I squealed and tried to wriggle out of her grasp. I don't want to be washed! She looked down at me with amusement in her eyes, than continued washing me, her rough tongue smoothing down my fur and taking out all the dirt. Now that I think about it, it actually feels kind of nice.

_Most kits hate getting washed by their mother. I remember I used to hide when my mom said she was going to clean me!_

Well you're old, so maybe things have changed, Hollyleaf.

_I'd cuff you over the ear if I could… Just wait until our next meeting._

The mother wolf had done my head, ears, back, and one of my sides. She moved on to my tail, skipping my other flank. Why? I turned my head to the not-washed flank.

Oh… The wound. The ugly, dried red blood was barely visible through the sticky cobwebs and green sharp-scented herbs. It barely stung, though the pain was still there. I wonder who healed me?

I jerked my head up as the mother wolf suddenly barked loudly. She wasn't looking at me, though- her silver muzzle was pointed towards the entrance of the den, her amber eyes intent. What was she staring at?

All of a sudden, two wolf cubs appeared out of the shadows and walked over the mother wolf and me. These must be her cubs, the ones I saw with her when I washed up at the river! How long ago was that? Oh well. Up close, I saw that the bigger one was a female with milky blue eyes, walking towards the nest slowly. The smaller one was a male miniature copy of his mother, with piercing amber eyes. He yapped excitedly, got a running start, and belly flopped into the nest. A second later, the female landed on top of him, and they both started wrestling. The mother twitched her whiskers and separated them. Then, she spread out her body in the nest, lying on one side. I was confused. What was she doing? It hit me when the cubs eagerly started going towards the wolf.

Milk.

She was going to give them milk.

The realization of my hunger crashed down on me like a wave so hard I almost passed out again. I eagerly went forward and drank the mother wolf's milk, and didn't stop until the nausea went away.

"Good, you can understand wolves now."

I jerked my head up, scared. Who said that? It didn't sound like Hollyleaf!

_Voice, the mother wolf did! She spoke to you!_

How, Hollyleaf?

_I don't know! Speak back to her!_

I raised my head up to meet her amber orbs with my brown orbs. "H-hello," I stammered, unsure of what to say.

"My name is Moon," she rumbled. "What is yours?" Her voice is deep, like mine!

"M-my name is Voice," I stammered. And my mother's name was Moon, too." Sadness washed over me again, only overtaking my excitement for a few seconds.

"Did your mother abandon you?" There was anger laced in her gentle tone.

"No… my… ex-father forced her to give me up," I meowed, certain that she was not going to harm me. "So, um, how can I suddenly understand wolves?" I asked awkwardly.

"Let me tell you the ways of a wolf Pack. Large groups of cats call themselves Clans, no?" She barked.

"Yeah. There is ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. They are the good clans. There is also BloodClan, but they are not really a Clan. They are bad, and that's where I was born," I meowed, trying to remember everything Hollyleaf told me.

_You forgot to mention StarClan._

You forgot to mention a ton of stuff when you talked to me.

_She doesn't _have_ to know about StarClan!_

Then why'd you mention it?

_This is what happens when you try to reason with a kit… Just forget I even said anything._

"Are you talking to yourself?" Moon asked. Her amber eyes were unreadable.

"Err… Umm… I have a voice inside my head. Her name is Hollyleaf, she's from a heaven-like place called StarClan, and she is going to help me in my life!" I added the last part so that she wouldn't think I was a lunatic.

She nodded her large silver head. "I see."

I wriggled in impatience. I want to get out of this den and explore!

"You want to go explore, no?" She trilled in amusement. I felt my black-and-brown fur grow hot as I nodded sheepishly. "Just like a wolf cub."

I perked my brown ears. Moon is going to be a fun mother!

"I will tell you everything quickly." She tucked her paws under her chest. "Groups of wolves are called Packs. The Packs that live close by to ours are Water Pack and Leaf Pack. We are Sky Pack," She barked happily. "In every pack, the wolves with the most power are called Alphas. There are two Alphas in each pack, one male and one female. They are chosen through an election, and the wolf with the most votes becomes an Alpha when the old one dies. Alphas are usually chosen because they are skilled. I am an Alpha, I was chosen because my hunting skills are very sharp." There was quiet pride in her voice as she said the last part. "My mate, Shade, is the other Alpha because his battle strategy and tactics are the best. The Alphas don't have to be mates," She added. "I will let my cubs, Hail and Wind, show you around and tell you everything else." Hail and Wind were sleeping on either side of me, keeping me warm.

Moon gently nosed each of them. The male was up and panting happily in a heartbeat, while his sister had to be nosed a couple of times before she got up and yawned sleepily.

"Hail, wake UP!" He yowled in Hail's silver ears. "The cat-cub's up! I wanna play now!" Her milky blue eyes immediately popped into focus.

Hail twitched her ear irritably. "I _was _up, you just didn't give me the chance to stretch…" She turned to me and smiled in a friendly way. "My names Hail, sorry about my bird-brain brother Wind. He's… enthusiastic."

"No, it's fine… My name's Voice-" I stopped meowing as Wind suddenly leaped on top of Hail and they both started wrestling in the nest.

_Rowdy bunch, hm?_

I'll say.

"Cubs!" Moon barked.

Wind and Hail immediately broke apart and faced their mother, panting.

Moon whisked her tail on my head. "This is Voice, your foster sister. Show her around camp and introduce her to everyone. After you do that, you three can play with Hawk and Thorn, if they ever wake up." She twitched her whiskers in amusement. "Now go," she ordered. "And play nicely, she has a wound!"

"Follow me!" Wind barked. He hurtled out into the sunlight.

Hail rolled her eyes. "No, follow me. He's going to fast."

I nodded and followed her out into the camp. My eyes narrowed against the sudden brightness, the widened in amazement. "It's so big!" I breathed. It was basically a large hole in the ground, with stone walls. Large trees with needles instead of leaves hung over it, to form a crude roof over the entire camp. There were some bushes and ferns growing here and there, and a ton of wolves milling about and talking to each other. I also noticed a large, pillar-like stone across the clearing, and a pile of freshly caught prey in the middle of the camp.

Hail smiled. "It is. Let's go find Wind, he probably thinks we're right behind him." She began padding forward, with me following in her footsteps. I realized that she and Wind were so much bigger than me. My brown ear tips barely came up to Hail's shoulder! As we walked past some wolves, I noticed most of them staring or whispering to a wolf next to them. Some even glared and snarled at me!

_Ignore them, they're just mouse-brains. _

"Ignore the hostile ones, they're just curious," Hail barked before motioning for me to turn around.

Wow, Hollyleaf! Can you read other animals minds too?

_Nope. That's my brother, Jayfeather. I'll tell you about him and my other brother later._

"Yeah, they're just bird-brains!" Wind yapped loudly from behind Hail, causing her to jump a tail length in the air and cuffing her brother over the ear.

We faced the nursery. The hollowed-out boulder looks a lot smaller than it does from the inside!

" This is the nursery, or Pride Den, as you probably know. Prides are she-wolves that are nursing or expecting cubs. They stay in the nursery with their cubs until they are old enough to become apprentices. You, me, and Wind will become apprentices in about 5 and a half moons!" Hail barked happily.

Wind puffed his silver chest out." Our mother may be a Pride right now, but she'll become the Alpha again once we're old enough to eat prey!"

Anger flared in Hail's light blue eyes. "Wind, that's so rude! Don't say that in front of other cubs!"

Wind turned to me, amber eyes shining with guilt. "Sorry, Voice." Then, he turned to Hail, grinning playfully. "Make me!"

Hail mock growled and leapt onto Wind. The two of them wrestled (again), getting dirt in their fur.

"Y'know," I mewed loudly. The two siblings immediately broke apart and stared at me, panting. "Technically, she's my mother too, know. So you guys don't have to fight."

Wind frowned. "I guess you're right. But I wanted to fight with Hail!"

I grinned, suddenly feeling optimistic. "Oh well."

Hail snorted. "Anyway, lets show you the den of the wolf that saved your life." She and Wind padded off towards the eastern side of the clearing. I followed, mystified. They stopped at a small cave in the wall, with large clumps of ferns growing near the entrance. The sharp tang of herbs wafted and danced through the opening into my nose.

"The smell is great!" I exclaimed. "Is this the Medicine Wolf Den or something?"

"Yeah, it is! And you actually _like _the smell?" Hail questioned, slapping her furry silver tail over her nose.

Wind shrugged. "Maybe cats have a different sense of smell."

Hail snorted. "I wasn't asking you!"

"Oh yeah? I'll make you! Wind exclaimed, jumping onto her back. She squealed and flopped down onto her belly.

"Alright, I give up! Just get _off _of me!" She whimpered. Satisfaction gleaming in his eyes, Wind slowly started to get off of her. When she could handle the weight, she got to her paws and reared up, bucking Wind off. He hit the ground, and Hail quickly spun around and pinned him down. "Ha!" She yipped. "Even Thorn wouldn't fall for that!"

All of a sudden, the ferns near the entrance of the cave rustled, and an old reddish-gray wolf emerged. He had kind gray eyes and an assortment of leaves clumped to his pelt. "I heard a commotion out here, and I knew it could only be Hail and Wind!" He woofed good-humoredly.

Hail instantly got off Wind. "Hi, Night!" Wind barked, his small tail wagging. "Me and Hail came to show the cat-cub around camp."

Night bent down and sniffed me while I stood there awkwardly. "Glad to see the infection has cleared up," He yipped kindly. _I had an infection? _"What's your name?"

"My name's Voice," I mewed. "Oh, and thanks for saving me! It means a lot," I added, remembering what Hail said.

I heard Hollyleaf snort. _Really? _

Night's whiskers twitched. "Anytime. I have to go sort herbs now. You three stay out of trouble!" He called over his shoulder as the ferns swallowed him up again, muttering something about dry parsley leaves.

"Anyway," Wind barked, "Each pack has a Medicine Wolf who is specially trained to heal sick and wounded wolves. They learn other stuff too, like hunting and a bit of fighting, I guess. Oh, and all the Medicine Wolves gather in a special place called the Moon Cave to do Medicine Wolf stuff!" He added.

I grinned. "So descriptive."

"Hey! It's not like I'm the only one who doesn't know what's in there!" He barked indignantly.

" What Medicine Wolves do at the Moon Cave is classified," a voice growled behind us. I whipped around to see a big dark gray he-wolf with icy blue eyes. He was a lot bigger than me, but he still looked like a cub.

Hail's and Wind's fur rose up when they saw him. I felt my fur involuntarily doing the same.

"We didn't ask for your opinion, Hawk!" Hail barked ferociously. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you hated us!"

Hawk's eyes flashed with anger for a second, but it was quickly replaced by cool dislike. "She-wolves are _so _defensive," He snorted. "Can't fight with their claws."

I flashed back to my dream with Hollyleaf. Didn't she say something about the she-cats and toms being treated unfairly? Anger slowly but ferociously bubbled up inside me. "I _never _want to hear _you, _a cat, or wolf say that _EVER AGAIN!" _I screamed at him, forcing myself to hold back my tears. Wind and Hail gasped at the same time. Then there was silence as the gazed at me with wide amber-and-blue eyes. Their expression said it all- _You are either really brave or really stupid. _Everyone stayed silent.

_Yeah! Show that bully that you're in charge! _Hollyleaf squealed, breaking the silence. Well, only inside my head.

Hawk's dark gray head snapped around and fixed me with his icy blue stare, and I suddenly felt like curling myself into a ball and sinking into the ground. A smirk darkened his expression. "Like I'd listen to _you, _a pathetic cat-cub that got thrown into the river because her mommy didn't want her!" He sneered, breaking the silence.

This time, the tears really _did _come. They welled up inside my eyes and fell down over my face, and there was nothing I could do to stop them.

_Oh, he's lucky I can't visit the waking world… _Hollyleaf snarled.

I stared at my brown paws as I felt Hail come up to me and thrust her muzzle near my ear. "Don't listen to him," She muttered. "He's a bird-brain. Let's just walk away."

I sniffled and nodded, sadness bubbling inside of me. I turned and walked slowly back to the nursery, Hawk and Wind trotting beside me. I heard Hawk call, "Crybaby!" I flattened my brown ears to shut out his horrid voice.

As soon as we were out of earshot, Wind started raging. "Great Star Pack, I want to sink my claws into his sorry gray fur so badly!" He fumed.

All my sadness was instantly replaced by curiosity. "What's a Star Pack?" I asked.

Hail and Wind exchanged expressions. "_The _Star Pack is where wolves go when they die," Hail finally mewed. "Well, only the good ones. No one knows where the bad ones go."

I nodded, understanding. "It's like StarClan."

"What?"

"…Never mind. Can I see the other dens now? I think I'm feeling better," I mewed, changing the subject.

Wind's eyes that were dark from anger suddenly lit up. "Yeah, sure!" He bounded away.

Exchanging an amused glance with Hail, we padded after him. He stopped at another cave right next to the Medicine Den, only this one was considerably larger with no herb scent, instead an overwhelming amount of wolf scent.

"This is the Gladiator Den. The Gladiators are the adult wolves that have trained as an apprentice and passed an assessment to show they are ready to be a Gladiator. They hunt for the clan, fight in battles to protect their Pack, and train apprentices so that they can grow up to be Gladiators, too!" Wind explained.

_In the Clans, the cats that are like this are called warriors. _

I think that's a much better name than Gladiator!

_Definitely! _

Hail tapped me on my shoulder with her fluffy tail, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay? You were just staring into the distance."

"…Yeah, I'm fine." I didn't want to tell them about Hollyleaf just yet.

_Don't, they'll think you're insane._

All of a sudden, a shadow fell over us, making me feel cold. I looked up to see a very tall adult wolf, probably a Gladiator, blocking out the sun and looking down on the three of us.

"Hi, Adder!" Wind and Hail yipped in unison.

Adder smiled, but it didn't look like a very happy one to me. "Hello, cubs," he growled in a way that sounded like a purr. "Who's your little friend?"

Hail looked at me and then looked back up at Adder. "Oh, yeah! This is Voice, the cat-cub that mother rescued from the river! Hail barked.

Wind nudged me. "Say hi!" He whispered. "I know he looks kind of intimidating, but he's really nice!"

Doesn't seem like it to me, Wind. "Hello," I mewed, dipping me head and trying flatten my fur.

He smiled again, except this time it looked even worse. "Hello, cat-cub. You're a long way from home, aren't you?" He bared his fangs, causing Wind and Hail to bark with laughter- they though he meant to be funny.

I met his gaze and smiled innocently. "This has always been my home, actually."

"I see." He doesn't believe me?

"Well, stay safe, cubs!" he called over his shoulder as he walked into the Gladiator Den. "You never know what's lurking in the dark." I shivered. Was that a threat or a safety precaution?

"Isn't he awesome?" Hail yipped. He was almost chosen as Alpha instead of our father, Shade!"

"Yeah, he's awesome…" Inwardly I shivered. I can't imagine Moon having to work with that mouse-brain!

"We've only got two more dens to show you, then we can play fight! Wind barked happily, whiskers quivering in anticipation. Then, he attempted to run off towards another den, but stopped as his tail was pinned down by Hail's paw.

"This time, walk _slowly,_" She growled playfully. Wind snorted but fell in line with us as we started off towards the den at a pace I was more comfortable with. We stopped at a crevice in the stonewall. "This is the Apprentice Den," Hail barked, looking at me to see my reaction.

"Uhhh…. It's kind of _small_," I meowed awkwardly. Wind grinned. "Peek inside."

I widened my eyes. "Can I?"

"Well, the apprentices don't really like it when we do… but there shouldn't be anyone inside!" Wind admitted.

Snorting, I took a step forward and peeked inside, and gasped when I saw that was actually a dim, cool cave with nests here and there, covered with different wolves' _scent. _I looked at the back wall and realized that there was a lump of fur in a nest, it's flank gently rising and falling. "Oh no…" I muttered, wincing as my low voice echoed off of the sides of the den. The lump of fur started to shift, and I heard a voice groan.

_You shouldn't have done that._

I know.

Hail stuck her head in to see why I meowed that. I saw her blue eyes widen in the gloom as she said, "QUICK! GET BACK TO THE NURSERY!" She turned around and ran out, with me at her heels. As we passed Wind, I motioned with my tail for him to follow. His expression showed confusion, but he followed us anyway.

Soon, we were back at the opening of the nursery, panting.

"What was _that _all about?" Wind demanded.

I stared guiltily at my brown paws. "I accidentally woke a sleeping apprentice up."

Wind blinked his amber eyes. "Most of the apprentices don't get all that mad when we poke our heads in."

Hail's eyes were still wide. "She woke up… _Cinder!"_

Horror gleamed in Wind's eyes, and his fur stood on end.

A hard knot formed in my stomach. How many bad wolves am I going to meet today? "Who's Cinder?" I asked softly.

Hail shivered. "Only the most feared apprentice the Packs have ever seen! Well, according to Holly, Leaf, and Bracken, three apprentices that were kits three sunrises ago," Added Hail.

I just shivered.

"Anyways, let's forget all about her," Wind mewed, breaking the tension. "We still have to show you the Alumni De-"

"Hey guys! Came a voice from behind us, causing all three if us to jump and spin around. Standing behind us was a _huge _he-wolf that looked exactly like Hawk, with friendly yellow eyes instead.

Thorn turned his eyes to me, but they didn't make me want to flinch. "Hello! I heard you're the cat-cub that is joining our Pack. What's your name, and how do you like it so far?" He asked.

For a heartbeat, I was shocked. He was the first cat besides my new adopted family and Night to be nice to me! "M-my name's Voice," I stammered. "Life here seems… great!" I tried to sound cheerful on that last part, but probably failed miserably.

_You need to work on fake personalities- It'll help later on when you're battling Scourge. _

Aren't fake personalities bad for you?

Hollyleaf snorted. _Bad for you? In what way? _

Doesn't it mean you're insecure and stuff like that?

_If you know you're using a fake personality, no. You're pretty smart! Now listen to what lovertom is saying!_

I was about to purr at the compliment she doles out, but growled instead at the last part, and then listened to what Thorn was saying.

"You obviously aren't finding life here great," Thorn barked, concerned. "Did my brother have something to do with this?

I looked at Hail questioningly. _His brother is Hawk! _She mouthed to me.

I trained my dark amber eyes onto my brown paws. "…Yes," I admitted.

I looked up again to hear what he was saying. "He's always in a bad mood, don't listen to him," He said, eyes glowing with sympathy.

I nodded, smiling. "I won't."

Then there was awkward silence, until Wind started screaming, "VOICE AND THORN, SITTIN' IN A TREE-" I leaped at him and bowled him over, embarrassed.

"Yes, we can playfight now!" Wind squealed, easily throwing me off of him.

"Okay!" Hail stood tall. "We will be split into two teams of two. Let's do she-wolves against he-wolves! A wolf or cat on one team has to pin down a wolf or cat on another team for ten heartbeats. Once he or she has done that, the wolf or cat that was pinned down is defeated, and has to sit down and watch. Got it?" We all nodded. "And, yes, I _am _always this bossy, Voice," Hail barked at me when I opened my mouth. I shut it and grinned.

"We will decide strategy before we attack each other!" Hail squealed. Hail and I went towards the nursery while Wind and Thorn planned near the Medicine Wolf den.

"I will go attack Thorn, since he's the biggest. You attack Wind and we can help each other. Got it?" She asked. I nodded. "Oh, and Wind's named "Wind" for a reason!" She added as she bound over to them to tell them we were ready, with me following.

_I know she said Wind is fast, but I still want you to try to outsmart him using agility and tactic- he's obviously stronger than you._

Got it, Hollyleaf.

We stood about three fox-lengths apart I looked over at Thorn to make him think I would be the one attacking. Farther in the clearing, I noticed Hawk sitting and watching us, blue eyes narrowed. I narrowed my amber ones right back at him.

"Three…two…one…GO!" Hail howled, and I streaked across the clearing towards Wind. His amber eyes flashed with surprise as charged towards him.

_Remember what I said about him being stronger than you! _Hollyleaf hissed.

I darted around him, trying to make him confused. But he really was fast- soon, his paw had pinned down my tail- but only my tail.

"Didn't Hail tell you I'm practically the fastest wolf in the Pack?" He boasted jokingly.

I gritted my teeth ad bit down softly on his paw, causing him to squeal, but he still didn't let go- and now he was going for the rest of my body. I kicked his chest as he awkwardly lunged three-legged at me, causing him to loose more balance than he had already lost and fall to the ground.

_Quick! Jump on top of him! _Hollyleaf hissed in excitement. _I feel like I'm a kit again!_

Sometimes you act like it! I quickly jumped on top of him as he was about to get up, slamming all my weight onto his stomach. He heaved up multiple times and almost succeeded in throwing me off, but I swiped my sheathed paw roughly against his muzzle and drummed my hind leg that wasn't wrapped up against his belly to make him stop.

I counted off the heartbeats in my head. One…two…three…four… "Five!" I meowed triumphantly as I looked down at him, grinning and jumping off of him.

"You're pretty smart," Wind admitted.

_No, she would've recklessly charged at you if I hadn't told her otherwise…_ I ignored her.

"But you have to be more aware of your surroundings," he growled, grinning with mock evilness.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

That's when I noticed a shadow on the ground that wasn't Wind's, and it was overlapping with mine. Slowly, I turned around to a smiling Thorn. A second later, I was pinned down, one paw on my chest and one gently but firmly on my neck so I couldn't bend my head to bite his paws.

I peered past his flank to see a defeated Hail, frowning. "Wind's right- you need to be more aware of your surroundings! I was calling to you for help, but you never noticed," Hail complained.

"Sorry," I murmured.

"It's okay- it is just playing, after all!" Wind barked happily.

I nodded, and realized that my eyelids were drooping. "I bet you're tired, huh?" Thorn laughed, his yellow eyes shining.

"Yeah," I admitted, turning around to walk back to the nursery. Wind and Hail galloped past me, probably having a race. I curled up into Moon's nest as she was cleaning me, and I realized that for the first time in forever I was happy.

**AHHH I'm so sorry! I had a huge case of writers block and couldn't figure out how to write this chappie even though I'd written the plotline down. As you are reading this, I am probably working on the next chapter. **_**OC'S welcome!**_** For those of you that are starting school soon or have already started, I hope your summer was awesome. For those of you who are just starting summer vacation, have a great summer! And finally for those of you who are in the middle of your school year… hang in there xD bye! –Empress (And yes I am CatAndFish6008, I changed my name)**


End file.
